Giridhar Udupa is a world-renowned percussionist and a global ambassador of Ghatam, one of the most ancient musical instruments of India. Termed as “the king of pot music” by Rave magazine, he is part of the ‘Layatharanga’ team of Indian classical musicians who have set out to blend different forms of classical, folk, and world music. He is also the founder and director of The Udupa Foundation, a charitable trust that promotes music, performing arts, and culture. 
He believes that there is a rhythm inside all of us. So, the editorial team sat down to chat with him about this idea, his journey, and his message to today’s youth. 
Just like our heart beat, there is a rhythm cycle in everyday life.  “When we walk, nod our heads to music, when we clap our hands to accompany a performance, or even when the general way our body moves and grooves to music are confirmations that there is a rhythm inside us. The tempo might keep changing but the beats follow a system. When you learn this system, it is easy to go on further.”
“I was enamoured by music at an early age with my father, a Mrudangam artist. I used to be a naughty kid, always playing pranks on people. I haven’t changed much now. But back then, when I started playing the mrudangam, it was a natural progression as my father was into percussion music.” 
Giridhar’s father, Vidwan Ullur Nagendra Udupa, is a well-known name in classical Carnatic music. He started his musical career in the Karavali region in Karnataka as a Yakshagana artist and then migrated from his home village to Bangalore to embark on a new payana in percussion art. His conviction and dedication to music brought him to the center stage of Carnatic music as a performer and teacher. In 1975, he established an institution for training students and Giridhar is one of his disciples who later ventured into playing the Ghatam professionally. 
“I played my very first concert with the Ghatam only. Although my father himself was a classical musician, he never stopped me from experimenting with crossovers and collaborations with other styles. Of course, you stick to the foundational concepts but there is freedom to explore.”
Anyone who sees Giridhar in action would be able to notice how saadhna and abhyaas  have played a critical role in his mastery. “Ghatam is one the simplest instruments that you can start one’s musical journey with. Once you start, you will not be able to stop. However, the key is to practice regularly and have patience in the process. I am comforted by a quote from the violinist L. Subramaniam, who said that music is a vast ocean that no one can claim to know in entirety. The more you know, the more you realize how little you know, it is an eternal quest.”
On quizzing him about the key differences between his journey and his father’s, “social media and mobile connectivity” comes as a prompt reply. 
“The internet has definitely increased awareness and exposure about Indian music. I recently posted a video of me playing the Ghatam on Instagram. It went viral, garnering millions of views. Then, I started receiving messages from people asking to learn the instrument.”
But when one observes mainstream concert stages, Ghatam is still a rarity to come across. What could be the reasons for this?
“The first thing is awareness and education. Many think of the Ghatam as only a clay pot. It is much more than that. I have been working on these aspects through the Udupa Foundation, trying to expand knowledge to different audiences across different parts of the globe. I am also considering organizing Ghatam workshops for young people. 
The other thing could be the accessibility of the instrument. In fact, there is only one family in the entire world that has been making the Ghatam for the last four generations. The technicalities and quality specifications for the instrument are known to these specialists who live 40 kms from Madurai in Tamil Nadu. We are in the process of making the Ghatam available for purchase through our centre or a store setup.”
Giridhar Udupa is disseminating such ideas to a larger audience with his live concerts and initiatives like The Udupa Foundation. His aim is to take the inherited traditions of India deeper and higher, keeping them from vanishing from contemporary life. 
Know more at www.udupafoundation.com or on Instagram @ghatamududpa. This article originally appeared in the Music edition of The Plus magazine. Content by Arushi Sharma.